Grants save Meals on Wheels

HILLSDALE — Federal sequestration hit the Area Agency On Aging hard, causing the organization to lose more than $20,000 according to director Laura Sutter.

"This sort of gave me an upset stomach for a couple of days. Because of a 20 percent cut in federal sources, it could have caused a lot of harm to our Branch County senior nutrition provider," Sutter told the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Counties Community Health Agency board, which administers the programs.

But a $15,000 grant from Bank of America to the Community Action Agency and special carry-over grant funds saved the Meals on Wheels and congregate meals programs from serious cuts, Sutter told the board. In St. Joseph County the cut was only $4,517, made up by one-time state funding.

Because fewer congregate meals were served at CAA, the total federal cut was $30,000. The board reduced the current budget from $160,671 to $139,131 for the nutrition services.

"We got really creative" to keep the programs operating, Sutter said.

Sutter said recalculations of funding called "escheat" gave the program, which operates in the two counties, one-time funding used in several programs.

The Branch County Commission on Aging was able to add $6,980 to give families that received respite services in their homes additional services for some nights and weekends. Pines Behavioral Services received $9,000 in escheat funds to offset local matches for grants and increase services for the elderly.